ADULT ATTACHMENT SECURITY AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION: THE MEDIATING ROLES OF DYSFUNCTIONAL ATTITUDES AND LOW SELF-ESTEEM
John E. Roberts and Ian H. Gotlib
Northwestern University
Jon D. Kassel
University of Pittsburgh
Three studies investigated the relation between adult attachment security and symptoms of depression. Study 1 examined the overall magnitude of the association between adult attachment and depression, and Studies 2 and 3 tested whether this relation was mediated by dysfunctional attitudes, which in turn predispose to lower levels of self-esteem. Such depletions in self-esteem are directly associated with increases in depressive symptoms over time. Insecure attachment appears to lead to depressive symptoms in adulthood through its impact on self-worth contingencies and self-esteem.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1996, Vol. 70, No. 2, 310-320